Blue Ribbon Cuisine

Cooking for Mr. Meat

Do you have one of these at home?  Someone for whom dinner isn't unless it contains (what else?) lots of meat.  Your Mr. Meat could even be a Ms. Meat -- mom, grandma, sister or aunt .   My Mr. Meat's choice is beef.  He also likes lamb, game, pork sometimes, but beef is the king of his culinary universe. 

Last November I was dreaming of short ribs in a rich sauce, savory lamb shanks, and hearty stews, so I filled my freezer with the appropriate raw material only to be so overbooked with professional cooking that I hardly had time for my own.  Between cooking 3 Thanksgiving dinners (only one of them mine), 5 Christmas dinners  (only 2 of them mine), 1 cocktail party ( fortunately not mine),  and my usual cooking jobs, I felt there was nothing I hadn't cooked, including that partridge in a pear tree.  Well, OK , I actually did Cornish hens with pears.  All my lovely ideas stayed frozen while I plonked steaks and chicken on the grill for dinner.  Peace on Earth descended on December 26, and I cooked out of the freezer for 3 months.  Mr. Meat was ecstatic.

The Recipes

Savory Lamb Shanks - serves 4

I have always wanted to like lamb shanks, but never quite got there until I stopped trying to rush them and just let them take their own time.  This recipe doesn't have any really strongly flavored ingredients to get in the way of the taste of lamb, which meat lovers appreciate.  Chop the vegetables by hand or in a food processor.  Processor-chopped veg can get a little watery, so drain in a colander  and save any liquid that comes off.  It is very important to brown the shanks and the vegetables well so that sauce will have a good rich color and flavor.  Bake slowly in the oven until the meat practically falls from the bones.  Prepare the dish the day before, and it is even better. 

4 lamb shanks, about 12 oz each

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 large celery stalk, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove minced garlic

1 lb cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

2 cups red wine

3 cups lamb or beef broth

28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme

Handful of roughly chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 300 F.  Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep oven proof casserole over high heat.  Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper.  Add 2 shanks to the casserole.  Brown on all sides and remove to a plate.  Watch the heat and lower it if the sediment in the casserole begins to blacken. Add two more shanks, brown those and remove them.  Lower the heat to medium and add more olive oil, if needed.  Add the chopped carrot, celery and onion to the casserole.  Brown slowly, stirring constantly until the vegetables caramelize, turning a rich brown.  Add the garlic and cook a few minutes.  Remove vegetables and garlic.  Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove them to a separate plate from the lamb shanks and vegetables.

Return the shanks and the vegetables to the casserole. Add the wine, broth, tomatoes and their juice.  Add the herbs and bring to the boil.  Place in the oven and cook at least 2 hours or until the shanks are fork tender.  The shanks may take up to 4 hours to cook.  Allow the shanks to cool in their liquid to room temperature and them skim off the fat that has risen to the surface.  Refrigerating overnight makes this step easier.  Remove the shanks and bring the skimmed sauce to the boil.  Simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens. It should lightly coat the back of a spoon.  Return the shanks to the sauce and heat through with the mushrooms. Adjust the seasoning.  Sprinkle with lots of fresh parsley and serve with pasta, potatoes or polenta.

Raspberry Barbecue Pork - serves 4 - 6

This recipe is a favorite with my personal chef clients.  It is a combination of about 4 recipes, so no longer bears a resemblance to any of them. It is such a pretty dish that you could serve it for a special dinner. I've put it on menus for Valentine's dinners,  holiday dinners and summer dinners. Rice or orzo makes a good accompaniment, and I love sugar snap peas with this.

6 oz can tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine vinegar or raspberry vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup sugar

Water

2 containers of fresh raspberries

1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

Combine tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, about 1/2 cup water  and 1 1/2 containers of raspberries in a medium saucepan.  Bring to the boil, partially cover and simmer until the raspberries soften completely.

While the sauce cooks, trim the tenderloin, removing any fat and the silvery tendon.  Cut into 1/2-inch thick diagonal slices.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil  in a large skillet and saute the pork on both sides.  Cook in several batches to avoid crowding the pan and so steaming the meat instead of browning it.  Return all the pork to the pan and add the chicken broth and bay leaf.  Cover and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until pork is tender. 

Pour the cooking liquid from the pork into the sauce and bring to the boil.  Simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.  Puree in a food processor until smooth. To serve,  reheat the pork in the sauce and adjust the seasoning.  Gently fold in the remaining raspberries.

Orange Braised Short Ribs with Pearl Onions - serves 4 - 6

I just returned from a trip to Santa Fe, where I saw short ribs on the menu as an appetizer. I wished the idea had appealed to me, but I wasn't in the mood for that much adventure.  I think I prefer my short ribs as a main course.  Use bone-in short ribs or boneless ones as you like.  Bones will give the sauce extra flavor and have a thickening power of their own.  If you can't be bothered to peel the onions, use the frozen kind, but don't add them until the meat is almost done.  To make peeling raw onions easier, drop them into boiling water for a few minutes, then into cold water.  The peels should come right off.

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb pearl onions, peeled and left whole

3 lbs short ribs on the bone (for boneless ribs, allow 2 per person)

Flour mixed with a good pinch of salt and pepper

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

1 cup red wine

1 3/4 cup beef broth

Bay leaf

Sprig of thyme

2 or 3 parsley stems

1/3 cup orange marmalade

Chopped parsley

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep oven proof casserole.  Add the peeled onions and saute over moderate heat until golden brown, turning frequently.  Remove and set aside.  Toss the short ribs in the flour mixture to coat lightly.  Add more oil to the pan as needed and brown the short ribs over fairly high heat on all sides.  Do this in batches.  Place all browned ribs in the casserole and add the carrot and celery. Pour over the wine and broth and add the bay leaf, thyme and parsley stems.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of marmalade.  Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered for about 2 - 3 hours. 

After about 1 hour, add the onions.  If using frozen onions, wait until 30 minutes before the end of cooking.  Check the level of liquid in the pan often and add more broth or water to keep the ribs moist.  The short ribs may also be cooked in a 300 F oven.

When the ribs are tender, remove them and the onions and strain the sauce.  Discard the herbs and vegetables.  Add the remaining marmalade and bring the sauce to the boil. Cook rapidly until the sauce is thickened and syrupy.  Return the ribs and onions to the sauce and heat through. Adjust the seasoning and serve sprinkled with parsley.    I love everything with mashed potatoes, so try those or a mixture of brown, wild and white rice. 

La Macaronade de Vico au Stufado - serves 4 - 6

This is a Corsican recipe from that little island that is part French,  part Italian, at least in its cuisine.  The recipe itself comes from a brilliant book called "The French Woman's Kitchen" by Brigette Tilleray,  Cassell publishers, 1990.  I have taken very few liberties with it. I only cut the quantity of beef, upped the quantity of ham and smoked sausage and added a bit more tomato paste.  The original recipe was also meant to be served with a macaroni pie, far too much for me,  so I suggest pasta like bucatini or just let it go on its own to the dinner table. 

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 1- inch pieces

8 oz country ham, trimmed of fat and cut into 1- inch pieces

8 oz smoked sausage,  cut into 1- inch chunks

4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves  garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup red wine

Pepper

1 bay leaf

Pinch of fresh rosemary

1 whole clove

1 cup pitted green olives, halved

Salt

Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet.  Brown the beef  pieces on all sides, a batch at a time if necessary.  Remove to a deep heatproof casserole.  Add a little more oil and lightly brown the ham and smoked sausage.  Add to the beef.  Brown the shallots and garlic and transfer to the casserole.  Stir in the tomato paste, wine and pepper. Add the bay leaf, rosemary and clove.  Add enough water to cover.  Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 - 3 hours or until the beef is tender and there is still enough sauce for the pasta.  Add more water during cooking so that the meat is always covered.  Remove bay leaf and add the green olives before serving. Taste and add salt if needed, but the country ham and smoked sausage are salty so more might not be needed.

Next time:  It's Never Too Late For Soup                                                                                                 

 

Dinner on a Stick

Shish kebabs, kebabs, kabobs, satays, sates, brochette, shaslik, skewers, yakitori, spiedini.  Whatever names they go by,  however that name is spelled,  I love them.  They have been around for centuries.  The website homecooking.about.com says Columbus was very fond of a Portuguese version called espetadas, beef cubes marinated in wine and roasted over an open fire.  My old Larousse Gastronomique attributes the name kebab to Turkey, where the meat used was and is lamb, mutton or buffalo.  Satays or sates (accent over the "e", which I really must figure out how to do) are Indonesian and Malaysian. Brochettes, of course,  are French, yakitori Japanese and spiedini Italian.  Shasliks come from Asia and eastern Europe.  Indian cuisine boasts a few kebabs of its own. I suppose we will never know who stuck the first piece of meat onto the first skewer, but he or she gave us a fun way to serve dinner.

When I try to analyze why I love these skewers of grilled food so much, I can't really come up with a definitive answer.  One reason is their versatility.  Just about any food, savory or sweet, can be threaded onto skewers.  These can be grilled outdoors or in.  They can even be oven-roasted.  That way, even when it's too cold to grill outside (although I know grilling fans won't agree there is such a time)  skewers can be winter food, too.  Another reason I like them is they give me the feeling I'm eating more than I actually am.  The deck of cards definition for portion control looks a whole lot larger when the protein source is cut into cubes and threaded on to a ten-inch skewer.

Speaking of skewers,  if cooking this way becomes a habit, buy stainless steel. These are reusable and hold up to heat.  Bamboo skewers have to be soaked for at least 30 minutes in warm water prior to use.  This stops them from burning, but the method doesn't work well for thin wooden  skewers like the ones for cocktail kebabs.  With those I use a different method.  I cover the exposed ends with foil and this keeps them fairly safe from the heat.  Flavor-infused wood skewers are even available now from a company called Callisons Fine Foods.  These are a very clever variation on the theme of using woody rosemary stalks striped of leaves.  They work, they come in six flavors and don't have to be soaked first.   

Marinating gives skewered food flavor and helps tenderize meat like cubed leg of lamb.  The choices are practically endless, but the flavors should be robust enough to stand up to heat.  Spices are a good choice and so are strong herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage and savory.  Some kind of acidulating ingredient is needed for tenderizing. Try wine, vinegar, yogurt or fruit juices.  Just be careful with fresh pineapple and some other tropical fruit juices which can break down the meat if it's left in too long.  Oil will add moisture to the food and help herbs and spices stick. 

I like to cook the meat and vegetables on separate skewers, although peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes will do alright alongside the meat.  I usually parboil onion pieces first.  I think they need a bit more time to lose their raw taste and by then, the meat can get overdone.  Unless you want very crisp veg,  parboil zucchini, carrots, squash, shallots,  pearl onions and  new potatoes.  Eggplant can be done either way.

As this piece was meant to be done in July,  I've been chatting long enough.  Let's cook.

The Recipes

Spiedini alla Romana

Serves 4  as an entree, 8 as an appetizer

This is not easy. I would recommend using a broiler rather than grill for this to keep the cheese where it belongs.

1 loaf ciabatta, focaccia or other Italian bread

1 1/2 lbs Mozzarella balls (large or small)

1/2 cup olive oil

8 anchovy fillets or 4 cloves minced garlic

Italian parsley or fresh basil leaves

Cut the bread into 20 pieces or slices about the same size as the cheese.  Cut large Mozzarella balls into 1/2-inch thick slices or cut small balls in half to make 16 pieces of cheese in all.  Thread 4 large or 8 small skewers, starting and ending with bread.  Press cheese and bread closely together.  Place a piece of oiled foil over broiler pan and place on the skewers drizzle with a little olive oil.  Preheat broiler to 375  F or place shelf so that the pan will be 5- 6 inches away from the heat. Broil for 15 minutes, checking frequently so cheese doesn't melt away and bread doesn't burn.  Meanwhile heat remaining oil in a skillet. Remove from the heat, add the anchovies and mash until completely dissolved.  If you hate anchovies, cook the garlic in the oil until lightly browned.  When the spiedini are done,  place on plates,  spoon over a little of the anchovy or garlic oil and garnish with herbs.  For an entree,  serve with a tomato salad with maybe some artichoke hearts and black olives.      

Chicken Yakitori

Serves 4 as an entree, 8 as an appetizer

If you have no sake hanging around the kitchen,  white wine may be used. The taste won't be quite the same, but it will still be good. Sansho, a powder made from the seed pods of prickly ash trees was traditionally sprinkled over Yakitori.  Try Asian markets for it or check online.  Substitute pepper if you can't find it.

3 tablespoons sake or dry white wine

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 scallions, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups teriyaki sauce (bottled is fine)

Sansho or freshly ground pepper

Combine sake or wine, sugar and soy sauce in a bowl. Add the sliced ginger and the chicken pieces.  Leave to marinate for at least 3 hours.  Skewer 4 pieces of chicken alternating with 3 pieces of scallions on 8 skewers.  Grill or broil for 3 minutes per side or until chicken is no longer pink.  Baste with teriyaki sauce.  Serve 2 skewers per person for an entree along with more teryaki sauce.  Sprinkle each skewer with sansho or pepper.

Sausage, Apple and Pepper Kebabs

Serves 4

This is practically foolproof. There is no worrying about how long to cook everything.  Just cook it until the apples, peppers and sausage acquire a little brown.

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 lb smoked sausage (beef, pork or turkey), cut into 2-inch pieces

2 Granny Smith apples, cored but not peeled

1 large red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces

Whisk honey and dill, gradually whisking in the vinegar. Add the sausage and marinate about 2 hours. Cut apples in quarters.  Thread ingredients onto the skewers alternating peppers, sausage and apples.  Thread on apples skin side up. Brush with marinade and broil or grill until peppers and apples are tender and everything is slightly browned.  Pour any remaining marinade over the top to serve.

Involtini di Pesce Spada

Serves 4

In an Italian recipe titles, involtini means rolls. The fish in these kebabs is sliced and rolled around a stuffing before being threaded on skewers alternating with tomatoes and lemon slices.

1 1/2  lbs of monkfish or tilapia

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped

4 pitted black olives, chopped

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and pepper

2 lemons, cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces

4 Roma tomatoes

Olive oil

Set oven to 375 F. Cut fish into 1/2-inch thick slices about 3- inches long.  For the monkfish, cut the tail in half or thirds, lengthwise, then into 2 - 3 pieces.  Cut tilapia into 3 - inch long pieces. Mix the capers, olives, breadcrumbs, parsley and enough lemon juice to help the stuffing hold together.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Place a small amount of stuffing on each piece of fish and roll up. Thread onto skewers beginning with tomato, followed by lemon, followed by fish, followed by lemon and tomato. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place on an oiled baking sheet and drizzle with more oil. Bake the skewers for about 15 minutes. Raise the temperature to 500 F and bake a further 8 minutes to brown lightly.  Serve immediately.   

Spiced Lamb (or Beef) Kebabs

Serves 4

My exception to parboiled onion is in this recipe. The onion rings are thin enough to cook completely in the same length of time as the meat. If you want hotter flavor, use cayenne pepper instead of the black pepper.

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 clove minced garlic

1 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

4 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 1/2 lbs lamb, cut from the leg or top sirloin

1 onion, sliced into1/4 - inch thick rings

1 green pepper,  seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces

Heat the oil in a small pan and add the cumin. Cook for 1 minute over moderate heat to roast the spice.   Add the ginger, garlic, pepper, salt, cilantro and yogurt.  Cut meat into 1 1/2- inch chunks and combine with the spice mixture. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.  Thread meat onto 8 skewers, alternating with the pepper pieces.  Choose onion rings that are large enough in diameter to slip onto the skewers over the meat cubes.  Grill or broil about 6 - 8 minutes per side or until meat and vegetables are done to your liking.  For a quick sauce,  combine 6 oz plain yogurt with 1 tablespoon chopped mint or dill, 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar.

Pork Satays

Serves 4

A staple in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine, these are kebabs made from pork, chicken or beef marinated in a spicy mixture and served with peanut sauce.  As an appetizer, these satays will serve 8.  This recipe is long, but not complicated.

Satays:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Grated zest of 1 lime

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin

Chopped cilantro

Peanut Sauce:

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup smooth, natural peanut butter

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Mix soy sauce, cayenne, lime zest, oils, and garlic. Trim fat and silvery tendon from the pork and cut into 3/4-inch pieces, thread onto skewers. Pour soy sauce mixture over the pork and marinate 1 hour. Preheat broiler or grill to high. Place skewers on foil over broiler pan and directly on grill rack about 3 inches from the heat. Cook about 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink. For the peanut sauce, warm vinegar, water and soy sauce. Add garlic and whisk in peanut butter until smooth. Stir in sesame oil and keep sauce warm. Sprinkle satays with chopped cilantro and serve with the sauce.

Brochette aux Herbes

Serves 4

This is a remembered recipe from a long ago trip to Paris. The brochettes are good without the sauce, but this is French after all.

1 1/2 lbs top sirloin or leg of lamb, cut into 1 1/2- inch chunks

6 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons red wine

2 tablespoons chopped fresh savory

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper

Chopped fresh mint or parsley

Sauce:

1/2  cup red wine

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot or onion

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 1/2 cups beef stock

Salt and pepper

Pinch of sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

Toss meat chunks with the oil and wine.  Marinate for about 1 hour. Mix all the herbs, except mint or parsley, with a pinch of salt and pepper and add the meat chunks. Toss to coat the meat with herbs.  Thread the meat onto skewers and grill or broil for about 6 minutes per side or until done as liked.  Sprinkle with mint for lamb or parsley for beef. 

Meanwhile combine wine, shallot or onion, tomato paste and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar.  Stir in the cream. Bring back to the boil.  Serve with the brochettes. 

Vegetable Kebabs

Serves 4 - 8

Serve these as an appetizer or side dish for 8 people or entree for 4.  Get the smallest new potatoes you can find, about 2-inches diameter at the largest. These kebabs don't really need tenderizing, but the marinade will add extra flavor.  This marinade is practically all-purpose, so keep the recipe for whatever you are grilling.

12 very  small new potatoes, scrubbed

4  zucchini

12 pearl onions, peeled

1 large red or yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

Marinade:

9 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons rosemary leaves

Coarse salt and cracked black pepper

Cut the zucchini into pieces about the same size as the potatoes.  Parboil the potatoes and onions for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for about 3  - 4 more minutes until zucchini is slightly softened, but not cooked through.  Drain and thread all the vegetables onto skewers, alternating the different ones.  Mix all marinade ingredients,  except the salt and pepper.  Pour over the vegetable kebabs, turning to coat evenly. Leave for 1 hour.  Preheat grill or broiler and cook the kebabs for 6 - 7 minutes,  turning and basting frequently until lightly browned.  To serve,  pour over a little remaining marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Next: Cooking for Mr. Meat